Cleaning composition

ABSTRACT

A neutral composition comprising an alkyl polyglucoside, a fatty alcohol polyglycol ether, xanthan gum, a biocide, and citric acid is disclosed which is useful for cleaning articles in need thereof. In exemplary embodiments the disclosed composition comprises an alkyl polyglucoside composition that is a mixture of C8/10 and C10/16 alkyl polyglucosides having an average degree of polymerization of about 1.5, a C12/16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether 7 EO, xantham gum, a biocide composition comprising a mixture of isothiazolone compounds, and citric acid and has a pH of about 6.5-7.5.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to neutral cleaning formulations containing asurfactant system comprising polyglucosides and fatty alcohol polyglycolethers, in combination with xanthan gum, a biocide, and citric acid, aswell as the use of such formulations to clean.

BACKGROUND

There are numerous cleaning compositions already known that areeffective against many varieties of soils. Many such cleaningcompositions contain potentially harmful or environmentally damagingingredients or are at such a high pH that they are irritating to theskin. Typically, however, in order to achieve effective cleaning,particularly of grease, such caustic cleaners must be used. Thus, itwould be advantageous to develop a cleaning composition that includesless environmentally damaging and dangerous ingredients that would be aneffective cleaner at a neutral pH.

Alkyl polyglucosides and fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers are bothclasses of non-ionic surfactants that are generally consideredrelatively environmentally friendly due to their biodegradability andbecause they may be produced from natural substances. Cleaningcompositions including alkyl polyglucosides and fatty alcohol polyglycolethers are disclosed in Behler et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,476 (1997)).Schmid et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,530 (1999)) disclose a water freecompound for use in making cleaning formulations comprising an alkyloligoglycoside and an alkyl polyalkylene glycol ether. Gross et al.(U.S. Pat. No. 5,877,142 (1999)) also disclose a surfactant compositioncontaining an alkyl polyglucoside and a fatty alcohol polyglycol ether.(C5:L23-36.) In addition, Van Buskirk et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,284(1996)) disclose examples of a cleaning composition comprising an alkylpolyglucoside and a fatty alcohol polyglycol ether.

Despite the environmental benefits from the incorporation of alkylpolyglucosides and fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers into cleaningcompositions and the existence of known cleaning compositionsincorporating such surfactants, caustic cleaners are still generallyconsidered more effective in cleaning and necessary to remove heavysoils such as grease.

SUMMARY

It has been discovered that, surprisingly, a neutral cleaningformulation comprising an alkyl polyglucoside, a fatty alcoholpolyglycol ether, xanthan gum, a biocide, and citric acid exhibits acleaning effectiveness essentially equal to or better than a causticcleaning formulation. Accordingly, disclosed herein is a neutralcleaning formulation comprising an alkyl polyglucoside, a fatty alcoholpolyglycol ether, xanthan gum, a biocide, and citric acid as well asmethods of making and using such a formulation.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of thedisclosed cleaning formulation will become more apparent from thefollowing detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As used herein alkyl polyglucosides are compounds having formula I:R₁O(R₂O)_(b)(Z)_(a), wherein R₁ is a alkyl radical, having from about 1to about 30 carbon atoms; R₂ is an alkylene radical having from 2 to 4carbon atoms; Z is a saccharide residue having 5 or 6 carbon atoms; b isa number having a value from 0 to about 12; and a is a number having avalue from 1 to about 6 (the degree of polymerization). Due to themethod by which they are synthesized, alkyl polyglucosides are generallypresent as mixtures of alkyl polyglucosides having varying amounts ofcarbon atoms in the alkyl radical and varying degrees of polymerization.Thus, when referring to alkyl polyglucosides, the alkyl radical isgenerally referred to as having a range of carbon atoms (e.g., C8/16referring to a range of alkyl radicals having from 8-16 carbon atoms)and the degree of polymerization is generally referred to as the averagedegree of polymerization of the mixture.

Alkyl polyglucosides suitable for use in the disclosed cleaningformulation include those having the formula I wherein Z is a glucoseresidue, b is zero, R1 is an alkyl group that contains 8 to 16 carbonatoms, and the average value of a is about 1-2. Such alkylpolyglucosides are commercially available, for example, as GLUCOPONbranded alkyl polyglucoside compositions from Cognis Corporation.Examples of such commercially available alkyl polyglucoside compositionsinclude compositions where the alkyl polyglucoside forms 100% of thecomposition and compositions where the alkyl polyglucoside forms lessthan 100% of the composition and include but are not limited to:

1. GLUCOPON 425 N—an alkyl polyglucoside composition in which the alkylgroup contains 8 to 16 carbon atoms (and is a mixture of C8/10 andC10/16 alkyl polyglucosides) and having an average degree ofpolymerization of 1.5. GLUCOPON 425 N comprises about 50% alkylpolyglucosides (such as 48%-52% according to the supplier'sspecification), about 0.012% of a preservative such as glutaraldehyde,up to 3% ash, up to 4% of a colorant, with the rest of the alkylpolyglucoside composition comprising water, e.g., about 50%, such asabout 48%-52%.

2. GLUCOPON 625—an alkyl polyglucoside composition in which the alkylgroups contain 12 to 16 carbon atoms and having an average degree ofpolymerization of 1.6.

3. GLUCOPON 600—an alkyl polyglucoside composition in which the alkylgroups contain 12 to 16 carbon atoms and having an average degree ofpolymerization of 1.4.

As used herein a fatty alcohol polyglycol ether has formula II:R₃—O—(CH₂CH₂O)_(n)H wherein R₃ is an alkyl radical containing 6 to 24carbon atoms, and n is a number from 1 to 50 (with this number alsoreferring to the number of ethylene oxide units (“EO”)). Such compoundsare prepared by ethoxylating the corresponding fatty alcohols. Suitablefatty alcohols include coconut fatty alcohol, tallow fatty alcohol,lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol and oleyl alcohol. As with the alkylpolyglucoside, a fatty alcohol-polyglycol ether generally contains amixture of fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers which may also have varyingdegrees of ethoxylation. Thus, fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers aregenerally referred to by the range of carbon atoms in the alkyl radicalas, e.g., C12/16 (referring to a mixture of fatty alcohol polyglycolethers containing between 12 to 16 carbon atoms). In such mixtures thedegree of ethoxylation of each fatty alcohol polyglycol ether may alsovary. Thus, the EO number in such a mixture is the average degree ofethoxylation.

In certain embodiments of the disclosed cleaning formulation, R3 in thefatty alcohol polyglycol ether is an alkyl radical having from 8-20carbon atoms, or more specifically from 10-18 carbon atoms. In aparticular embodiment R3 is an alkyl radical containing 12-16 carbonatoms. The degree of ethoxylation in certain embodiments range from 2-20EO, or more specifically from 2-10 EO. In more specific embodiments thedegree of ethoxylation of the fatty alcohol polyglycol ether ranges from6-8 EO and, in a particular embodiment is about 7 EO.

A suitable fatty alcohol polyglycol ether is a C12/C16 fatty alcoholpolyglycol ether (7 EO) available in a commercial fatty alcoholpolyglycol ether composition under the name GENAPOL LA 070 from Clariant(which comprises about 100% of the fatty alcohol polyglycol ether, butmay in certain cases include about 99.9% fatty alcohol polyglycol etherand up to about 0.1% water). Clariant also markets other suitable fattyalcohol polyglycol ethers compositions under the name GENAPOL, such asGENAPOL LA 79 which is a C12/C16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether (7 EO)(which comprises about 90% of the fatty alcohol polyglycol ether) andGENAPOL 26-L-45 a C12-16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether (6.3 EO).

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide polymer produced by a process involvingfermentation of glucose or sucrose by the Xanthomonas campestrisbacterium. It is commercially available from CP Kelco under the nameKELZAN® T, which is a clarified version of xanthan gum. In place of orin addition to xanthan gum, the cleaning formula may include othersuitable naturally occurring polysaccharide polymers such guar gum orlocust bean gum, or derivatives thereof, or mixtures thereof.

The biocide is generally incorporated into the cleaning formulation as abiocide composition because most commercially available biocides aresold in a form where the biocide comprises only a percentage, such as0.5%-2% (by weight) of the commercially available composition. However,the biocide can also be incorporated into the cleaning formulation onits own rather than in a biocide composition. As used herein a biocidecomposition includes compositions where 100% of the composition is oneor more biocides as well as compositions in which one or more biocidescomprise less than 100% of the composition. Suitable biocidecompositions include any of those comprising a mildewstat orbactoristat. In particular, suitable biocide compositions include thosewhere the biocide comprises an isothiazolone compound or a derivativethereof. Such biocide compositions include those marketed under the nameKATHON, including KATHON GC, which comprises a5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, KATHON ICP, which comprises a2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, and KATHON GC-ICP, which comprises ablend of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one. In certain embodiments the biocidalcompound of the biocide composition comprises about 0.1% to 5% of thebiocide composition, more specifically, in some cases, about 0.5% to2.5% of the biocide composition and, in particular cases, comprise about1.5% of the biocide composition. The remainder of the biocidecomposition in some cases comprises water and/or stabilizers, such asmetal salts, for example magnesium salts. KATHON GC-ICP, for instance,comprises about 1.5% of a mixture of5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, about 23-25% magnesium salts, and theremainder water.

Additional exemplary biocides include methyl, ethyl and propyl parabens,short chain organic acids (such as acetic, lactic and glycolic acids),bisguanidine compounds, and other compounds having mildewstat and/orbacteriostat functionality.

Citric acid is an organic acid found naturally in citrus fruits (alsoknown as 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid). It is commerciallyavailable from numerous suppliers. In the disclosed cleaningformulation, the citric acid is added to the formulation until the pH ofthe formulation is about 6.5-7.5, e.g., pH 7. The pH of the formulationcan be easily measured with a pH meter so that one can determine whetheradditional citric acid should be added.

The disclosed cleaning formulation may also include additional andtypical additives such as colorants, preservatives, e.g.,glutaraldehyde, thickeners, and pH adjusting agents such as ash, oracids. In some cases these additives are present due to theirincorporation in the commercially available formulations of alkylpolyglucosides, fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, xanthan gums, biocides,and citric acids that can be used in making the disclosed cleaningformulation. For example, the GLUCOPON 425 N alkyl polyglucosidecomposition used in certain exemplary embodiments of the disclosedcleaning formulation includes, in addition to alkyl polyglucosides, ash,glutaraldehyde, and colorant. In the disclosed embodiments, suchadditives generally comprise only a small percentage of the respectiveingredient.

The disclosed cleaning formulation comprises an alkyl polyglucoside, afatty alcohol polyglycol ether, xanthan gum, a biocide, and citric acid.In some cases the cleaning formulation further comprises water, such asdeionized water, in addition to any water present in any of theaforementioned ingredients. In certain embodiments the cleaningformulation is formulated as a concentrated cleaning formula, which isusually, but not necessarily, diluted further with additional water orother suitable dilutant prior to use. In certain embodiments of such aconcentrated cleaning formula these ingredients are present in theamounts noted in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Percentage of total weight of the cleaning formulation(excepting the Ingredient citric acid) Water 50%-80%, e.g., 60%-70%,more specifically 60%-65%, and in a certain embodiment about 64.4% alkylpolyglucoside 10%-40%, e.g., 20%-30%, more specifically 20%-25%, and ina certain embodiment about 23.7% fatty alcohol polyglycol ether 1%-20%,e.g., 5%-15%, more specifically 10%-15%, and in a certain embodimentabout 11.8% xanthan gum .01%-2%, e.g., .1%-1%, more specifically.01%-.05%, and in a certain embodiment about 0.05% biocide composition.01%-2%, e.g., .1%-1%, more specifically .01%-.05%, and in a certainembodiment about 0.05% citric acid Sufficient to adjust the pH of theformulation to about pH 7

The disclosed cleaning formulation also includes more diluteformulations in which, for example, the ratio of the concentratedcleaning formulation described in Table 1 above to an additional neutraldilutant (such as neutral water) is about 0.5:128-6:128, such as1:128-4:128, and more specifically 1.5:128-3:128, such as 2:128. Thedisclosed cleaning formulation in the form of the concentrated cleaningformulation described in Table 1 diluted in the ratio of 2:128 withwater has proven to be a particularly effective cleaning formulation, asdiscussed below in Examples II-III. The percentages of the ingredientsother than the citric acid are as noted in Table 2 below for such acleaning formulation comprising the concentrated cleaning formulationfrom Table 1 diluted with water in the ratio 2:128.

TABLE 2 Percentage of total weight of the cleaning formulation(excepting the Ingredient citric acid) water about 99%-99.83% alkylpolyglucoside about .15%-.62%, e.g., .31%-.46%, more specifically.31%-.38%, and in a certain embodiment about .36% fatty alcoholpolyglycol ether about .02%-.31%, e.g., .08%-.23%, more specifically.15%-.23%, and in a certain embodiment about .18% xanthan gum about.0002%-.031%, e.g., .002%-.02%, more specifically .0002%-.0008%, and ina certain embodiment about 0.0008% biocide composition about.0002%-.031%, e.g., .002%-.02%, more specifically .0002%-.0008%, and ina certain embodiment about 0.0008%

The cleaning formulation is prepared simply by mixing together the alkylpolyglucoside, fatty alcohol polyglycol ether, xanthan gum, biocide,citric acid and any additional water in a suitable mixing vessel. Thismay be done in any order. However, as the citric acid is used to adjustthe pH of the cleaning formulation to about pH 6.5-7.5, the otheringredients are typically mixed together before the citric acid is mixedin with them. It is then added to the other ingredients in a stepwisefashion with pH measurements taken in between the addition of portionsof citric acid to the mixture until the pH of the cleaning formulationis about 7, e.g., pH 6.5-7.5. If a concentrated version of the disclosedcleaning formulation is diluted to form a diluted version of thedisclosed cleaning formulation, a neutral dilutant may used, such asneutral water, so that additional citric acid need not be added to theformulation to maintain the neutral pH.

In use, the disclosed cleaning formulation is applied to an article tobe washed and then rinsed off with water or another suitable rinsingagent. In certain embodiments of methods of using the cleaningformulation, the cleaning formulation is first diluted with water oranother suitable dilutant such that the ratio of the pre-dilutedcleaning formulation to the amount of dilutant can be expressed, e.g.,as 2 ounces per gallon (referring to a dilution of 2 ounces of thepre-dilution cleaning formulation into a gallon of dilutant).

Accordingly, kits containing the disclosed cleaning formulation withwritten instructions for diluting the cleaning formulation as it isprovided in the kit to a particular ratio are disclosed. Such kitsinclude, for example, a concentrated version of the disclosed cleaningformulation, such as the embodiments described in Table 1 above or inExample 2 below and instructions to dilute the concentrated cleaningformulation with water or another suitable dilutant in a ratio such asabout 0.5:128-6:128, such as 1:128-4:128, and more specifically1.5:128-3:128, such as 2:128.

In some methods of using the cleaning formulation, after the cleaningformulation is applied to the article to be washed, manual energy isapplied to the article and the cleaning formulation, e.g., by scrubbingwith a sponge, to increase the cleaning effectiveness of the cleaningformulation. The cleaning formulation can be applied to the article tobe washed by any number of suitable means that result in the cleaningformulation contacting the article to be washed, including by pouringthe cleaning formulation onto the article or spraying the formulationonto the article from a spray bottle.

Example I

This is an example of the disclosed cleaning formulation in the form ofa concentrated cleaning formulation. This embodiment of the cleaningformulation comprises the ingredients listed in Tables 3-4.

TABLE 3 Percentage of total weight of the cleaning formulation(excepting the Ingredient citric acid) water 64.4% (including the waterpresent in the alkyl polyglucoside composition used in this embodiment)alkyl polyglucoside 23.7% fatty alcohol polyglycol ether 11.8% xanthangum 0.05% biocide 0.05% citric acid Sufficient to adjust the pH of theformulation to about pH 7In particular, this embodiment comprises the specific ingredients listedin Table 4.

TABLE 4 Percentage of total weight of the cleaning formulation(excepting Ingredient the citric acid) water 40.7% (not including thewater present in the other ingredients) GLUCOPON 425 N - an alkyl 47.4%polyglucoside composition comprising a mixture of about 50% C8/16 alkylpolyglucosides having an average degree of polymerization of about 1.5and about 50% water (this water is in addition to the amount of waternoted above) GENAPOL LA 070 C12/C16 fatty 11.8% alcohol polyglycol ether(7 EO) KELZAN T xanthan gum 0.05% KATHON GC-ICP - a biocide 0.05%composition comprising about 1.5% of a blend of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4- isothiazolin-3-one and furthercomprising magnesium salts and water citric acid Sufficient to adjustthe pH of the formulation to about pH 7

Example II

This example describes the surprising results obtained in a comparisontest of the disclosed cleaning formulation described in Example Iagainst a cleaning composition having a pH of about 10.5-11.3 comprisingabout 61% water and about 27.5% of a mixture of alcohol ethoxylatesurfactants (“Product B”).

The comparison test was conducted with 11 participants blinded to theproduct that they were using. Participants were asked to use both thedisclosed cleaning formulation (the embodiment disclosed in Example I)and Product B in cleaning various types of soil. They were instructed todilute both products with water at 2 oz./gallon (a ratio of 2:128).

Though one would have expected the caustic Product B to be moreeffective, the disclosed cleaning formulation outperformed Product B on10 out of 12 measures and performed equally on the additional 2measures.

Tables 5-6 provide the results from the participants' comparison of the2 products with respect to the ease of cleaning and effectiveness incleaning for the following surfaces:

TABLE 5 Cleaning was Cleaning was easier Both products easier with withthe disclosed were equally Surface Product B cleaning formulation easyfor cleaning Oil on driveways 0.0% 40.0% 60.0% Garage floors 16.7% 50.0%33.3% Greasy BBQ grills 28.6% 28.6% 42.9% Engines 0.0% 75.0% 25.0%Greasy oven racks 16.7% 50.0% 33.3% Greasy stove racks 25.0% 37.5% 37.5%

TABLE 6 Both The disclosed products Product B was cleaning formulationwere equally Surface more effective was more effective effective Oil ondriveways 0.0% 60.0% 40.0% Garage floors 16.7% 50.0% 33.3% Greasy BBQgrills 28.6% 28.6% 42.9% Engines 0.0% 100.0% 0.0% Greasy oven racks28.6% 42.9% 28.6% Greasy stove racks 25.0% 37.5% 37.5%

Example III

This example describes further surprising results obtained in acomparison test of the disclosed cleaning formulation described inExample I against Product B of Example II and another high pHcommercially available cleaning product called EASY OFF BAMCleaner/Degreaser.

Performance of the cleaning products compared was based on ASTM D-4488,for greasy soil (A2) and grimy soil (A3). Also evaluated was the abilityof the products to remove different types of burned-on food fromstainless steel. Table 7 provides the results of the following tests:

A. Hard Surface/General Purpose Cleaning ASTM D4488-A3 (Grimy Soil)

The reflectance of designated test areas of clean 12″×12″ pieces ofArmstrong Excelon, Imperial Texture, Pattern 51899, vinyl compositiontile was measured. Iron oxide pigmented soil, specified in ASTM D-4488,Appendix 3, was applied to the 12″ square tile. The tiles were allowedto age at room temperature for one hour and then baked at 100° C. for 30minutes. After baking, the tiles were allowed to cool. The 12″ squarewas then cut into 4″×4″ squares and the reflectance was measured in thetest area of each 4″ square tile. The tiles were allowed to sit overnight, at ambient temperature, before testing.

The cleaning products tested were diluted with Toledo tap water (68-70°F.) in the ratio indicated Table 7 (or not diluted in the case of EASYOFF BAM).

A soiled test tile was mounted in the tray of a Gardner Straight-LineWashability Apparatus, and a damp sponge placed in the carriage. 2 gramsof the applicable test product was applied to the tile, allowed a 30second soak, then the test tile was scrubbed with the sponge for tencycles and then rinsed under water. After the test tile was dry thereflectance was measured again.

The percent soil removed (SR) was calculated using the formula:SR=100(Lc−Ls)/(Lo−Ls), where Lo is the reflectance of the unsoiled tile,Ls is the reflectance after soiling, and Lc is the reflectance aftercleaning.

B. Hard Surface/General Purpose Cleaning ASTM D4488-A2 (Greasy Soil)

The reflectance of designated test areas of clean 4″×4″ pieces of white,flat painted wall board tiles was measured. Greasy soil, as specified inASTM D-4488, Appendix 2, was applied to the tiles. The tiles wereallowed to age at room temperature for one hour and then the excess soilwas removed. The reflectance was then measured in the soiled area andthe tiles were allowed to sit over night, at ambient temperature, beforetesting.

The tested products were in the ratio indicated Table 7 (or not dilutedin the case of EASY OFF BAM), and the soil removal testing andcalculations performed as above for grimy soil.

C. Hard Surface Cleaning (Burned-On Food, Stainless Steel CSPA DCC-12)

Stainless steel panels acquired from Q-Panel, Lab Products, were soiledwith soil made according to the CSPA DCC-12 Methodology. The soilconsisted of: ground beef, cheddar cheese, whole milk, sugar, cherryjuice, tapioca, egg, flour and tomato juice. Panels were then baked for45-minutes at 200° C. The panels were allowed to cool overnight. Thereflectance of each panel was measured before and after soiling.

The soiled panel was placed into the tray of the Gardner Straight-LineWashability Apparatus with the appropriate spacers. Three grams of thecleaning product being tested at the dilution noted in Table 7 (or notdiluted in the case of EASY OFF BAM) was sprayed onto the surface of thepanel and allowed to soak for 30 minutes. A tap water dampened spongewas then placed into the carriage. The panel was then scrubbed fortwenty (20) cycles using the damp sponge. The panel was then immediatelyrinsed under a stream of water from the tap. Panels were allowed to dryvertically at ambient temperatures. After they dried, the reflectancewas measured.

The percent soil removed was calculated as above.

D. Hard Surface Cleaning (Barbeque Grill Soil, Stainless Steel)

Stainless steel panels acquired from Q-Panel, Lab Products, were soiledwith soil made up of a mixture of Molasses, Coconut Oil, Lecithin, BeefFat and Parmesan Cheese. Panels were then baked for 45-minutes at 200°C. Panels were allowed to cool overnight. The reflectance of each panelwas measured before and after soiling.

The tested products were diluted at the ratio indicated in Table 7 (ornot diluted in the case of EASY OFF BAM), and the soil removal testingand calculations were performed as above for burned on food.

E. Hard Surface/General Purpose Cleaning (Kitchen Floor Soil—Food)

The reflectance of designated test areas of clean 12″×12″ pieces ofArmstrong Excelon, Imperial Texture, Pattern 51899, vinyl compositiontile was measured. Spaghetti was applied to the 12″ square tile. Thetiles were allowed to age at room temperature overnight. The 12″ squarewas then cut into 4″×4″ squares and the reflectance was measured in thetest area of each 4″ square tile.

The tested cleaning products were diluted in the ratio indicated Table 7(or not diluted in the case of EASY OFF BAM), and the soil removaltesting and calculations performed as above for grimy and greasy soil inpart A-B above.

TABLE 7 Soil Removal (%) of the Various Tested Soils by the DisclosedCleaning Formulation, Product B, & EASY OFF BAM Disclosed Cleaning EASYOFF Formulation Product B BAM Substrate Soil 2 oz/Gal 4 oz/Gal 6 oz/Gal2 oz/Gal Not diluted Sig. Dif. Flat, ASTM 4.9 5.0 6.6 5.7 44.6 1.7 WhiteD4488-A2 Painted (Greasy Wallboard Soil) Vinyl Spaghetti 52.3 54.9 58.656.1 61.8 7.3 Composite Sauce Flooring (Kitchen Floor Soil) Vinyl ASTM25.5 32.2 30.9 25.2 59.1 9.1 Composite D4488-A3 Flooring (Grimy Soil)Stainless BBQ Grill 0.3 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.8 Steel Stainless CSPA DCC-1.0 0.9 0.3 1.5 0.2 2.5 Steel 12 Oven Soil (Burned on Food) OverallTotal 84.0 93.0 96.5 88.7 166.0

As can be seen from the results provided in Table 7, the disclosedcleaning formulation performed essentially equivalent to the causticcleaner, Product B, at the same dilution ratio of 2 oz. per gallon. Thisis surprising because one would expect the caustic cleaner to performmuch better than the neutral disclosed cleaning formulation. Though thedisclosed cleaning formulation did not perform as well as the causticcleaner EASY OFF BAM, this is not unexpected because the EASY OFF BAMproduct was not diluted.

Example IV

Provided in the tables below are additional examples of the disclosedcleaning formulation.

TABLE 8 Percentage of total weight of the cleaning formulationIngredient (excepting the citric acid) Water  80% alkyl polyglucoside -such as a mixture of 14.98%  C8/16 alkyl polyglucosides having anaverage degree of polymerization of about 1.5 fatty alcohol polyglycolether - such as a   5% C12/C16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether (7 EO)xanthan gum .01% biocide composition - such as a composition .01%comprising 1.5% of a blend of a blend of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2- methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-onecitric acid Sufficient to adjust the pH of the formulation to about pH 7

TABLE 9 Percentage of total weight of the cleaning formulationIngredient (excepting the citric acid) Water 50% alkyl polyglucoside -such as a mixture of 40% C8/16 alkyl polyglucosides having an averagedegree of polymerization of about 1.5 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether -such as a 9.8%  C12/C16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether (7 EO) xanthangum  .1% biocide composition - such as a composition  .1% comprising1.5% of a blend of a blend of 5- chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-oneand 2- methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one citric acid Sufficient to adjust thepH of the formulation to about pH 7

TABLE 10 Percentage of total weight of the cleaning formulationIngredient (excepting the citric acid) Water   60% alkyl polyglucoside -such as a mixture of   30% C8/16 alkyl polyglucosides having an averagedegree of polymerization of about 1.5 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether -such as a  9.9% C12/C16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether (7 EO) xanthangum 0.05% biocide composition - such as a composition 0.05% comprising1.5% of a blend of a blend of 5- chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-oneand 2- methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one citric acid Sufficient to adjust thepH of the formulation to about pH 7

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of thedisclosed cleaning formulation and methods of use may be applied, itshould be recognized that the embodiments illustrated above are onlypreferred examples of the disclosed cleaning formulation and methods ofuse and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the inventionclaimed below. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by thefollowing claims. I therefore claim as my invention all that comeswithin the scope and spirit of these claims.

1. A cleaning composition comprising: one or more alkyl polyglucosides;one or more fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers; xanthan gum; a biocidecomposition comprising one or more biocides; and citric acid, whereinthe cleaning composition has a pH of 6.5-7.5.
 2. The cleaningcomposition of claim 1, wherein the one or more alkyl polyglucosidescomprises alkyl radicals that contain 8 to 16 carbon atoms and have anaverage degree of polymerization of 1-2.
 3. The cleaning composition ofclaim 2, wherein the one or more alkyl polyglucosides comprises asaccharide residue that is a glucose residue.
 4. The cleaningcomposition of claim 3, wherein the one or more alkyl polyglucosideshave an average degree of polymerization of 1.5.
 5. The cleaningcomposition of claim 4, wherein the one or more alkyl polyglucosidescomprises a mixture of C8/10 alkyl polyglucosides and C10/16 alkylpolyglucosides.
 6. The cleaning composition of claim 5, wherein the oneor more fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers comprises alkyl radicals thatcontain 12 to 16 carbon atoms.
 7. The cleaning composition of claim 6,wherein the one or more fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers comprises aC12/16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether.
 8. The cleaning composition ofclaim 7, wherein the C12/16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether has anaverage degree of ethoxylation of 6-8.
 9. The cleaning composition ofclaim 8, wherein the C12/16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether has anaverage degree of ethoxylation of
 7. 10. The cleaning formulation ofclaim 9, wherein the one or more biocides comprises one or moreisothiazolone compounds.
 11. The cleaning composition of claim 10,wherein the one or more isothiazolone compounds are selected from thegroup consisting of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one.
 12. The cleaning composition of claim 9,wherein the one or more biocides comprises a mixture of5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one.
 13. The cleaning composition of claim 12,wherein the one or more biocides comprising the biocide composition areabout 1.5% of the biocide composition by weight.
 14. The cleaningcomposition of claim 13, further comprising water, wherein thepercentages of the total weight of the ingredients of the cleaningcomposition, excluding the citric acid, are: Percentage water 50%-80%alkyl polyglucosides 10%-40% fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers  1%-20%xanthan gum .01%-2%   biocide composition .01%-2%  

and wherein the citric acid is present in a sufficient amount to causethe cleaning composition to have the pH of 6.5-7.5.
 15. The cleaningcomposition of claim 14, wherein the percentages of the total weight ofthe ingredients of the cleaning composition, excluding the citric acid,are: Percentage water 60%-65% alkyl polyglucosides 20%-25% fatty alcoholpolyglycol ethers 10%-15% xanthan gum .01%-.05% biocide composition.01%-.05%


16. The cleaning composition of claim 15, wherein the percentages of thetotal weight of the ingredients of the cleaning composition, excludingthe citric acid, are: Percentage water 64.4% alkyl polyglucosides 23.7%fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers 11.8% xanthan gum  .05% biocidecomposition  .05%


17. A cleaning composition comprising the cleaning composition of claim16 diluted with a dilutant in the ratio of 2:128.
 18. A method ofcleaning an article comprising contacting the cleaning composition ofclaim 1 with the article.
 19. A method of cleaning an article comprisingcontacting the cleaning composition of claim 16 with the article.
 20. Amethod of cleaning an article comprising contacting the cleaningcomposition of claim 17 with the article.
 21. A cleaning compositioncomprising: water; an alkyl polyglucoside composition comprising about48%-52% by weight of a mixture of C8/10 and C10/16 alkyl polyglucosideshaving an average degree of polymerization of 1.5 and about 48% to 52%of additional water; a C12/16 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether having anaverage degree of ethoxylation of 7; xanthan gum; a biocide compositioncomprising about 1.5% by weight of a mixture of5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; and citric acid, wherein the cleaningcomposition comprises, by weight, and excluding the citric acid, 40.4%water, 47.4% of the alkyl polyglucoside composition comprising about48%-52% by weight of a mixture of C8/10 and C10/16 alkyl polyglucosideshaving an average degree of polymerization of 1.5 and about 48% to 52%of additional water, 11.8% of the C12/16 fatty alcohol polyglycol etherhaving an average degree of ethoxylation of 7, 0.05% by weight of thexanthan gum, and 0.05% by weight of the biocide composition, wherein thecleaning composition has a pH of 6.5-7.5, and wherein the citric acid ispresent in a sufficient amount to cause the cleaning composition to havethe pH of 6.5-7.5.
 22. A cleaning composition comprising the cleaningcomposition of claim 21 diluted with a dilutant in the ratio of 2:128.23. A method of cleaning an article comprising contacting the cleaningcomposition of claim 21 with the article.
 24. A cleaning composition kitcomprising the cleaning composition of claim 1 and written instructionsto dilute the cleaning composition with water in the ratio of about2:128.
 25. A cleaning composition kit comprising the cleaningcomposition of claim 21 and written instructions to dilute the cleaningcomposition with water in the ratio of about 2:128.